For some reason, lots of Chinese manufacturers don't like publishing updates on their websites. Instead they supplied me with a link to a Google Drive containing an instruction PDF and an small .exe with the 2.4.06 update - no love for us Linux freaks. I've locally linked them if you want to install.

Through online chatter, I thought the latest version was v4.0, but Treedix said:

Your device is currently running software version 2.3 and can be updated to the latest available version, v2.4.06. However, please note that version v4.0 includes minor hardware updates. Due to hardware incompatibility, existing devices cannot be upgraded to v4.0 via software.

So, do be careful running this update. Make sure it is for the right version of the device. If in doubt, contact Treedix directly.

Upgrading was easy.

1. Switch on the Treedix by flicking the switch up.
2. Plug a USB-C cable into the charging port of the Treedix.
3. Connect the other end of the USB cable to your computer.
4. On your computer, open the .exe.
5. On the Treedix, hold down the function button.
6. While holding down the function button, flick the Treedix switch to off.
7. The upgrade program should detect the device.
8. On your computer, click "Upgrade"
9. Wait until complete before disconnecting and restarting the Treedix.

There are no release notes, but it does now appear to correctly read some of the more advanced eMarkers.

Enter the catchily-named Treedix TRX5-0816-AC.

It will test just about any sort of USB cable and tell you what it does - and doesn't - support. It will also show you which pins are connected, how fast it can transmit data, and what the eMarker shows. Nice!

Let's put it through its paces.

Inputs and outputs

On one side are your output ports - you have a choice of USB-C or USB-A 3.0.

At the bottom you have this range of ports to choose from:

So you can go A-C, C-micro, C-lightning etc.

Finally, on the other side you have a button, a switch, and input power:

The power switch toggles between the internal AAA battery (included) and a 5V supply from a USB-C cable (not included). Pressing the white button moves between the different diagnostic screens.

Power Only

I tried with a short USB-C power-only cable designed for charging low-power devices. I plugged in the USB-A end and the USB-C end.

It correctly identified that it couldn't do data transmission.

With a power-only USB-C cable, it had much the same display. Pressing the button on the side of the Treedix told me what it knew about the eMarker.

Perfect!

Passive USB-C

What about a data and power USB-C cable? This is the ChubbyCable I reviewed a few years ago.

USB 3.2 Gen2 and power of up to 100W. It has also correctly guessed the likely length of the cable by measuring the latency.

Interestingly, when looking at the basic functions, it says it can only do USB 2.0 speeds and correctly identifies that it doesn't do PowerDelivery 3.1 (which goes up to 240W).

Finally, which pins are connected?

That looks about right!

ThunderBolt 4 or 3?

Let's compare two high-performance cables. The one I usually have plugged into my Framework Laptop and USB-C hub

Thunderbolt 4 capable of 100W of Power and 40 Gbps of data. As expected, no PD3.1:

Let's test a different high-quality cable I bought recently. The labelling claims 20Gbps and 240W of power. We can see that it does have PD3.1:

But! Looking at the eMarker, it reports that is only a ThunderBolt 3 device capable of 10Gbps!

I asked the cable manufacturer if that's a problem with the cable or the eMarker or the diagnostic machine. They said:

eMarker tester can only show single channel transmission rate 10Gbps, devices supporting dual channel can show 20Gbps. our products have 18 months warranty, if there is any problem, please feel free to contact me, I will provide you with satisfactory after-sales service.

I contacted Treedix to see if they could shed light on this. They replied quickly:

Yes, we sincerely apologize - this tester currently does not support dual-channel detection at this time.

Which is a bit annoying.

Of course, my laptop only supports 10Gbps, so it is a bit moot!

Firmware

Update!

I emailed Treedix about possible firmware updates - they said:

Our devices with firmware version V2.3 and above can be updated. Currently the latest version is V2.3. you can see your version number. The way to view it is the boot page will show the version number. In addition, our test boards cannot be updated to test dual channels at this time. Because this is the information written inside the EMARKER, we can only read the information inside. We are currently working on the data inside the information we read to see if we can read the number of channels.

Mine shows a firmware of 2.3.04 - which does appear to be the latest. If a new firmware appears, I'll update this post again.

Weird Cables

As well as your standard USB-C, it will also do the ugliest plug known the mankind - the USB Micro-B SuperSpeed.

It'll also do Lightning cables - as long as they also have a USB-A or C end.

Downsides

Other than having to replace all your duff cables, there are a few annoying little niggles.

• The battery compartment is really stiff. I had to unscrew the back of the device to get it open.
• The power switch feels a little flimsy.
• The function button is a little small and fiddly.
• Screen brightness can't be changed (but it is pretty bright).
• No USB-B (the chunky one often used for printers).
• Lack of dual-channel detection.
• No firmware updates.

Those are all minor complaints.

The biggest complaint is that USB-C terminology is hard. Which is better, 40Gbps but only 100W or 10Gbps but 240W? How does ThunderBolt relate to USB? What is EPR and why does it matter? Where does DP Alt Mode fit in?!

Verdict

It powers up and detects all features instantly. It goes to sleep after a few minutes of not being used. It will even show you the electrical resistance of the cable if you think that's useful.

Total cost? £40 at the moment from Amazon. I reckon that's a bargain. It is an indispensable piece of kit - especially if you have a big box of ancient USB cables. This will allow you to quickly and easily see which ones are broken, which are mislabelled, and which deserve pride of place in your collection.

If you're running a hackspace, this is a no-brainer. If you've ever wasted time trying to diagnose a USB problem, this should be your first port of call.

The EBL C9010N has a USB micro socket. *sigh* We live in the future now. Don't buy anything which requires you to have multiple cables and adapters. In terms of what the products does, it is… basically fine. Plug in Ni-MH or Ni-CD batteries and they will slowly charge.

The batteries go in at a slight angle, which makes them slightly easier to get out.

There's an LED to show you if individual batteries are charging (red) or full (green).

And… that's it! There's no WiFi, Bluetooth, or percentage indicator - just individual LEDs. It won't ping you to say it is charged. But then, it is only a tenner.

Build quality is adequate. It is light and doesn't get too warm when charging. It clicks very gently as it charges. There's a misspelling on the back, indicating that it takes Ni-NH batteries.

If you want a cheap way to recharge batteries, this is fine. It's about a tenner for the charger by itself. If you want a charger and 8 batteries, that's about £16.

That's reasonable value for money. But, personally, I think you should treat yourself to something with more features and a modern USB port.

This is the ACR1251T-E2 - it's a USB pen-drive sized NFC reader with a side-out USB-A plug. Costs about £40.

There's a recessed green LED which flashes to let you know that it is working. It doesn't beep or vibrate when it detects an NFC token. It is a little bit tricky finding the antenna as the internal circuitry slides down the plastic housing - as can be seen in these internal photos

There's a lanyard hole at the end, and a plastic clip so you can attach it to things.

Linux support is flawless. Running lsusb shows 072f:224f Advanced Card Systems, Ltd ACR1251 CL Reader PICC

And running pcsc_scan gives the same information: 0: ACS ACR1251 CL Reader [ACR1251 CL Reader PICC] 00 00

Sadly, it wasn't detected by libnfc 1.8.0 ☹

Using the FIDO2 HID Bridge I was able to use my NFC Ring to log in to various websites.

It's a solid enough unit. The plastic housing is sturdy and not easily damaged. You can't get in to the shell without a spludger.

The only downsides are that it uses USB-A - we're in the C era now! - and that the sliding mechanism obscures the antenna position. But, if you want to carry a discreet USB stick with you for NFC purposes, there's nothing better.

For example, Framework sells an official HDMI card and Ethernet card:

But the community have built their own SD card expansion pack as well as 3D printed snack drawers:

Brilliant!

I have an NFC-only authentication token which I want to use when I log in with my laptop. I currently have a USB-C NFC reader which I could use, but it is a bit big and bulky.

Is it possible to fit an U2F capable NFC reader into a FrameWork expansion slot?

Size of expansion cards

This was a bit tricky to find. Based on this GitHub page, I think the maximum internal dimensions of a circuit board are about 26mm x 29.7mm. Tight!

According to this video from Framework about the cards shows the maximum size of the physical cards.

All the cards use a USB-C connector which sits proud of the card itself.

Potential Hardware

First up is this tiny NFC reader. It is designed for phones, and costs about a fiver. The dimensions look like it would might fit if the plastic shell were removed. But the description says:

Output 4/7 bytes of chip serial number, UID only

So no good for doing U2F. But it does at least show that reading an NFC card ought to be possible in a small form factor.

There are component USB-C readers

That one would easily fit - but the description says it is for reading only. So I don't think it can send the cryptographic challenges necessary.

Then there's the ACM1252U-Z2 - Small NFC Reader Module which costs about £60.

It is a much more capable reader. It uses micro-USB rather than USB-C, which isn't insurmountable using a flexible male-male cable. What about the dimensions?

Certainly thin enough! But about twice as long as we need. Could we chop off the end? What's on the other side of that empty space?

Ah! A honking great antenna. If it could be bent at 90°, it would "only" stick up 2.5cm. Which would be ugly, but not disastrous.

Then there is the ACR122T which is in thumb-drive format.

That might work. The antenna is probably in the bulbous end. The official schematics don't give much clue.

But if we look in the FCC Database there are some internal photos!

Ignoring the USB jack, the board is about 50mm long. That would leave about 2cm sticking out of the side of the laptop. Which isn't too bad. The width is within what we need. There's even an updated version with a slightly different spec.

I could buy an A-to-C converter which would add unwanted extra length. I wonder how hard it is to unsolder the connector and mount a USB-C one?

This video makes it look relatively simple.

But, given the weirdness with resistors, it might be easier to use an OTG Shim.

I could rip that apart and solder it on to the board. Or perhaps just solder on a USB-C OTG board. Maybe?

I guess it is time to buy some components and try not to break them! If you have any advice or suggestions, please let me know!

They're between £20 - £40 depending on what the algorithm think you'll pay. The USB cable is about 2 metres long - which is just about adequate for me. The switches have little tactile nubs on them and are well sprung. These aren't Cherry MX quality switches - but they feel decent. There's a bit of a clack as they spring back up again.

The OEM is PC Sensor - and they have full details on their website. As a USB device, it is pretty much plug-and-play. By default, the pedals send the letters a, b, and c - yup, this thing shows up as a very large keyboard!

But how to configure it to be something useful? A small CD came with the device, with a Windows only program:

For Linux nerds like me, it shows up as: 1a86:e026 QinHeng Electronics

A bit of light searching takes us to the "footswitch" utility. It's pretty easy to install from the command line:

sudo apt-get install libhidapi-dev
git clone https://github.com/rgerganov/footswitch.git
cd footswitch
make
sudo make install

Then run: sudo footswitch -r and it will show the default configuration:

[switch 1]: a
[switch 2]: b
[switch 3]: c

Here's how to build a StackOverflow™ Keyboard!

sudo footswitch -1 -m ctrl -k a  -2 -m ctrl -k c  -3 -m ctrl -k v 

That sets the first (left) pedal to modifier ctrl and the key to a. You can program it to via the hex values of a key, or the name of a key. There are more details on the Robotz wiki.

You can also program it to send more complex strings - sudo footswitch -1 -s "This is a test" - that will send This is a test every time you stamp on it. You can send up to 38 ASCII characters.

Note: You must program all three keys at the same time. If you leave one blank, it is set to null and won't do anything.

Running the command actually writes the key sequences to the device. So if you unplug it and move it to another machine, it will remember how it has been programmed.

Downsides

As well as the slightly short cable, there are two other things to be aware of.

Firstly, the unit is fairly light. There are rubber feet on the bottom, so it shouldn't slip around. It would be nice if it was a bit heftier.

Secondly, because it is a USB HID, it can only send a limited number of commands. So you can send keypresses, and it will even emulate mouse movements, but you can't program macros or get it to send complex Unicode sequences.

Verdict

This is a handy (footsy?) device. Whether you're sitting or standing, it's always nice to have a bunch of extra keys. And you can pretend that using them counts towards your 10,000 steps per day goal!

Thank you very much to my darling wife for such a thoughtful anniversary present. She knows me so well!

Paul from SubbyTech offered to send me some of their cables to review:

Terence Eden is on Mastodon

@edent

Magnetic chargers are the future shkspr.mobi/blog/2021/09/m…shkspr.mobi
Magnetic chargers are the future
Apparently, Apple plans to make a port-less iPhone which only uses wireless charging. This is something I predicted 7 years ago! Qi – the wireless charging standard – is excellent. Put …

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SubbytechShop

@subbytech

Replying to @edent@edent Happy to donate some of ours for you to try first hand 😁
subbytech.com/collections/cl…

---

These are slightly different from the ones I've used before. These charge at a faster rate and they allow for data transfer.

So, how do they compare?

Photos

The cables have five small pins on their head. The connector can rotate 360° and bends a full 180°.

The nubbins have USB-C, micro USB, or Lightning connectors on one end, and a small magnetic disk on the other. When plugged in, the do protrude a little bit - but not so much as to be annoying.

Magnets, how do they work?

The magnets are pretty strong and maintain a tight connection. Here they are in action:

Charging

They seem to charge pretty quickly - if you have a sufficiently powerful plug. The cables and magnets don't get noticeably warm.

They are remarkably boring - and that's a good thing! Plug the nubbin into your device and the magnet automatically attaches and delivers power.

Data

Copying files off the phone via MTP was a speedy 25MB/s - which is plenty fast enough for me. Again, they are just like normal USB cables.

Downsides

The big issue with these is that they're incompatible with the old magnetic chargers I have. Because of the shape of the charging pin, they simply won't fit. That's the price that I pay for being an early adopter, eh?

The light up cable is... disco?

I can't quite see the appeal of this. A distraction if you're doing something within its eyeline. But the regular cables are a lot less flashy. You may want to cover up the blue LEDs if you're sensitive to bright lights.

Cost

Individual 1m cables cost a tenner, or you can get a four-pack for £30. The 2m cables are £14 for one and £34 for 4.

Extra nubbins - available in USB-C, Micro USB, and Apple's Lightning - cost ~£2 each.

That's pretty reasonable, I think.

Are they worth it?

It's tough. I'm biased because I have the older version. I can't remember when I last tethered my laptop to my phone via cable. Bluetooth and WiFi covers my data transfer needs. Similarly, it is rare that I need to charge rapidly - I'm either by a plug or have a big battery with me.

If you're new to the world of magnetic charging, I highly recommend them. It really is a more convenient way to charge your devices. If you've already got some of the older standard - it's only worth upgrading if you need the speed + data.

And, don't buy the flashing ones unless you're dressing the set for a sci-fi film!

You can get 10% off using code edent!

It worked instantly in Linux and MacOS. Shows up as a USB drive. Shove a disk in there and your OS should automagically mount it.

Appears to draw about 500mW in power. The disk read and write speed is pretty good considering the medium. It only takes a few seconds to read the entire disk.

Absolutely no bells and whistles. You get a drive, and a small paper manual. Which basically says "plug it in".

The casing shows P/N: 19308801-19, S/N: U356244 - but inside it's a TEAC. The plastic casing comes off pretty easily with a spludger. There's a screw under the QC sticker - but I only found that out after ripping it open! Ooops!

Inside is a what looks like a pretty old floppy disk. P/N 19307588-21. S/N 9448981. TEAC FD-05HG 8821. Originally from a laptop, I think.

The drive is connected to USB via this little circuit board attached to the ribbon cable.

That's a UF001F USB Floppy converter which costs about ¥20 (£2.50).

For Linux nerds like me, it shows up as 0644:0000 TEAC Corp. Floppy.

Some people have had problems with this device, but it worked perfectly on a modern Ubuntu install.

Full lsusb info is:

Device Descriptor:
  bLength                18
  bDescriptorType         1
  bcdUSB               1.10
  bDeviceClass            0 
  bDeviceSubClass         0 
  bDeviceProtocol         0 
  bMaxPacketSize0        64
  idVendor           0x0644 TEAC Corp.
  idProduct          0x0000 Floppy
  bcdDevice            2.00
  iManufacturer           1 
  iProduct                2 
  iSerial                 0 
  bNumConfigurations      1
  Configuration Descriptor:
    bLength                 9
    bDescriptorType         2
    wTotalLength       0x0027
    bNumInterfaces          1
    bConfigurationValue     1
    iConfiguration          0 
    bmAttributes         0x80
      (Bus Powered)
    MaxPower              500mA
    Interface Descriptor:
      bLength                 9
      bDescriptorType         4
      bInterfaceNumber        0
      bAlternateSetting       0
      bNumEndpoints           3
      bInterfaceClass         8 Mass Storage
      bInterfaceSubClass      4 Floppy (UFI)
      bInterfaceProtocol      0 Control/Bulk/Interrupt
      iInterface              0 
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x82  EP 2 IN
        bmAttributes            2
          Transfer Type            Bulk
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x0040  1x 64 bytes
        bInterval               0
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x01  EP 1 OUT
        bmAttributes            2
          Transfer Type            Bulk
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x0040  1x 64 bytes
        bInterval               0
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x83  EP 3 IN
        bmAttributes            3
          Transfer Type            Interrupt
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x0002  1x 2 bytes
        bInterval             127

Not the world's most exciting bit of tech, but handy for recovering anything from old disks.

Thanks to @Gas_Liverpool for sending me some old floppies!

It's pretty similar to most normal portable batteries - but because it has USB-C-PD, it can charge MacBooks, Nintendo Switches, and other high-power devices! Let's take a look:

In the box

A big black battery.

A weird hybrid cable.

It is USB-A to Micro-USB and has adapters for USB-C and Apple's Lightning. It isn't a USB-C PD cable.

There's also a carrying case, but the battery feels rugged enough to shove in pocket or backpack without any further protection.

Spec

The batteries hold roughly 100Wh of power. That's about enough to charge an iPhone 6 times. Or a MacBook Air twice. Because of its huge capacity, it takes roughly 4 hours to fill from empty.

It has a lot of ports!

The USB-C port is bi-directional. That means it supports Power Delivery in both directions. It will charge the battery, or power a device.

There's also a micro-USB socket if you want to charge it the old-fashioned way.

If you don't have USB-C gadgets, there are a pair of regular USB sockets. Both can be used at the same time for charging multiple gadgets.

Finally, there's a button to press which lights up some LEDs. That lets you see how much power remains. Handy!

For spec nerds (like me) here are the power levels.

Testing

This battery can power THREE devices at once! I had the USB-C slot charging my laptop, the USB-A slot charging my phone, and the other USB slot powering my headphones.

Both my Linux laptop and Chromebook charged via USB-C PowerDelivery. I didn't do a full load test, but it appeared to be giving out 30 Watts.

It had no troubles powering the Nintendo Switch.

It happily recharged all my USB-C gadgets, and my legacy USB things.

The unit charges via USB-C as well. I left it for a few hours and it was completely full. There's also a micro-USB socket if you want to charge it slowly. The LEDs blink upwards as it charges.

Because of its large capacity, you should check whether you can take it on an aeroplane. Current rules suggest it is suitable for carry-on luggage.

Verdict

For £25 on Amazon you get a lot of battery. It is big and heavy - but that's a limitation of the technology. There's no PD cable included, but you probably already have one if you have a lot of gadgets.

The USB-C Power Delivery is a game-changer. You can take this battery with you and be sure it will charge even the most demanding of devices.

For £21, you get 7 ports:

• 3x USB 3.0
• 1x HDMI 4K
• 1x Micro SD
• 1x SD
• 1x USB Power Delivery

It worked perfectly on Linux (more below) and Windows. No drivers required. It also worked on Android. Simple plug and play. Exactly the way USB-C should be.

Downsides

Under heavy use, it does get a bit warm. Not hot to the touch, but definitely on the warm side. That's inevitable when you're pumping that much power and data through a small unit.

The USB-C socket on the hub is for Power Delivery only. That means it doesn't do data. The cable from the the hub transfers both power and data. So you lose a C port on your machine.

You may need to set your BIOS to allow HDMI video over the Thunderbolt port.

Those are fairly minor complaints considering the size and the price.

Linux Info

lsusb shows a bit of a complex set up:

Bus 004 Device 003: ID 058f:8468 Alcor Micro Corp. 
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 2109:0817 VIA Labs, Inc. USB3.0 Hub             
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 2109:8888 VIA Labs, Inc. 
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 2109:2817 VIA Labs, Inc. USB2.0 Hub             

Nothing particularly interesting or surprising there. Modern Linux systems should cope with it just fine.

You can buy the Flyland USB-C hub for £21 on Amazon.

So here's a gadget to convert any USB device to magnetic charging! Chinese company TOPK have sent me some of their Magnetic Charging Cables to review.

How it works

1. Plug the receiver into your gadget.
2. Plug the cable into a power source.
3. Bring the two magnets close together and snap power starts flowing.

You get five different cables, with different lengths, and a range of connectors.

The 50cm, 100cm, and 200cm cables all end with a "straight" socket - like this:

All the cables have a glowing blue LED so you can see power is flowing.

There's a 200cm and 300cm cable with right-angled socket - like this:

And, it just works. As much as USB-C has made it easier to get your plug the right way up, the TOPK magnets make it 100x easier. Just slide the device near the cable and it automatically couples. Just like magic! The magnets are strong enough to hold up a phone, which is nifty.

The adaptors are small enough to fit anywhere a USB cable can. My BlueTooth headphones have a notoriously unforgiving amount of free space, but the connector slipped in just fine.

They weigh next to nothing, and don't seem to slip out easily.

Accessories

The five-pack of cables comes with 12 connectors. 4x USB-C, 4x USB-micro, and 4x Lightning. This is great if you have a "mixed economy" househould. The same cable can now charge three different types of device. Really handy if you don't want dozens of wires everywhere. I don't have any iPhones, so I couldn't test that connector - but the USB-C and Micro worked flawlessly.

You can buy more connectors separately.

Cons

There a couple of minor drawbacks with these cables. They are power only. They don't have any data lines. Perfect for charging devices by your bed, and in your car. But you'll have to rely on BlueTooth and WiFi for data transfer.

They do offer magnetic data cables which are slightly more expensive.

Finally, these only support 2.4 Amp charging. If you have a 3 Amp, Fast Charge, or Power Delivery device (like a laptop), you'll be stuck at the slower speeds. They do sell 3 Amp magnetic cables if you really crave that much power.

Final thoughts

5 cables for £26 is a pretty good deal. You get a range of lengths, and a bunch of different connectors. The nylon weave is flexible and good looking. If you need more power, or data transfer, different cables are available.

I kinda wish that this was the standard way to charge all USB devices.

You can buy the TOPK Magnetic Charging Cables from Amazon.

Comes with a reasonably long USB cord, and a pop-shield.

The mic is suspended in a little elastic harness so it doesn't pick up vibrations.

It's fully adjustable - which is nice. And a has a removable spoffle.

There's no LED to show if it's on, and no mute button. But those are minor downsides.

Audio samples

Here's my voice, right up close to the mic, unamplified.

I stuck the mic out of the window to capture the birdsong. I've amplified it because the birds were quite far away, so there's a bit of background hiss.

I'm impressed with that! I'm sure all you proper audio geek and audiophiles are aghast at its lack of a gold-plated crosstalk suppression matrix. But it does the job for me.

Linux support

Like most audio hardware, it works perfectly on Linux. Shows up as 0d8c:0134. PulseAudio picked it up instantly. Worked in native programs like Audacity, and web conference calls.

Now to find a podcast that wants me as a guest!

Buy it

Cost £45 from Amazon

This is the YLpower 87W USB-C Charger.

First off, 87? What? The USB-C port is capable of 85 Watts - enough for even the most demanding laptop. The USB-A port supplies the remaining 2 Watts. Perfectly fine for most other uses.

£28 gets you a charger, UK plug, and a chunky USB-C Power-Delivery cable.

Good

It charged my ThinkPad, ChromeBook, Nintendo Switch, phone, and eReader using the USB-C to USB-C cable.

The USB-A port supplies 2.4 Amps. And you can use both ports at once.

The plug is compatible with Apple extension cables.

It's lightweight, and of a similar size and shape to an Apple charger.

Bad

It's not all sunshine and roses. USB-C PD is still in its infancy.

Two of my laptops charged from this at about 65W - which is good. But my third laptop would only charge at about 30W! Despite the fact that the laptop charges at 65W off different chargers. Mind you, that laptop refused to charge off a ChromeBook's 45W charger. USB-C is a bit weird. I replaced the cable which came with the charger, but to no avail. It still charges, but slowly.

For some reason, my BlueTooth headphones wouldn't charge on the USB-C output. But they worked on the USB-A outlet. They work fine when charged from other USB-C chargers. But they don't work when plugged into my laptop's USB-C port!

Who are YLpower? As far as I can tell, they exist to resell MingShengHui chargers - this is the MSH-87PD. I've no idea what sort of customer support they'll offer.

The unit gets a little warm in use. There aren't any heat dissipation measures - no vents or anything like that.

Verdict

It works, and is pretty cheap.

It's hard to know whether any problems are with the unit, the cable, or the inherent teething troubles of USB-C. Given that it works well on the Nintendo - notorious for hating 3rd party chargers - I think it's my laptop which needs an update.

You can buy the charger for about £28. That's a reasonable, but not spectacular, price.

This review unit was supplied by NiceRebate.

A few weeks ago, I bought an electric screwdriver. One of the key selling points, for me, was that it charged via micro-USB.

My last electric screwdriver had some weird proprietary connector which broke. I've hundreds of USB cables - of various lengths - and dozens of chargers - of various strengths.

I will always be able to buy a new charger for this screwdriver - even if the original manufacturer goes bust. In fact, the screwdriver didn't even come with a plug - just a short length of cable - which made it cheaper to buy and lighter to ship.

So why doesn't everything* charge via USB?

(*Where "everything" means small, portable electronics. Not like fridges and cars.)

10 Watts ought to be enough for anyone

The USB standard mandates that ports pump out 5 Volts, but they differ in how many Amps they can supply. For example, the ports on the back of my TV only do 0.5A - just enough to power to run an old Chromecast. But my extra chunky USB charger happily does 2.4A per port - enough to run nearly everything.

A quick look at all my gadgets shows the majority of them should happily charge via USB.

The Philips Hue Hub is 5V/1A - but has a barrel connector.

My home energy monitor is also 5V/1A - it comes with a USB charger and a barrel lead!

My electric razor is 4.5V/1A - again, with it's own weird connector. My electric toothbrush charger, handheld vacuum cleaner, and a whole mess of rechargeable kitchen gadgets all demand a bespoke connector and plug.

Make the connection

Perhaps, for some weird reason I don't understand, manufacturers need a barrel connector?

There are loads of USB to barrel connectors - they're cheap!

A cylindrical connector is easier to plug in. I think that's about its only advantage. But if manufacturers wanted a cable that doesn't care about orientation, they could use USB-C.

Wither USB-C?

The latest and greatest USB standard is "C". It's the plug which is used on all new phones. It's on the Nintendo Switch, and the latest MacBooks and Laptops. Heck, it's even on the latest Raspberry Pi!

USB C supports PD - power delivery - which can go up to 100 Watts. So, theoretically, could charge most home electronics.

But... It isn't quite there yet. My phone uses a proprietary system which only works with the manufacturer's own plugs, games consoles refuse to charge unless you use a blessed cable, and there are some dodgy cables.

Is that why the new Amazon Alexa Echo Dot (or whatever it's called) uses a barrel connector? Surely that would be a perfect USB-C candidate?

What next?

The argument from manufacturers seems to boil down to this:

1. Manufacturers are worried that 3rd party cables and chargers won't supply enough power.
2. They're also worried that faulty equipment could damage their product.
3. Some of them want you to buy expensive chargers.

All of which is undone by the fact it's possible to buy 3rd party barrel connectors of dubious price and quality.

I think the consumer argument is more powerful:

1. Consumers want a cheaper price - and they already have plenty of USB chargers and cables. That's why lots of mobile phones don't ship with a separate charger.
2. People also want simplicity - taking one charger on holiday, only having one cable next to their bed, etc.
3. USB-C is now good enough that a cheap charger can provide power without damaging anything.

So, my plea to manufacturers - USB-C is here. Embrace it. Sure, supply your own length of cable and charger if you really want. But make it easy for us to use one connector for everything.

But all of the Bluetooth headphones that I can find are charged via Micro USB. Which is bloody annoying! I want to charge my phone, laptop, camera, games console, and headphones from the same charger.

Even looking at the wholesalers on Ali Express - there are plenty of wired USB-C headphones, but an absolute dearth of wireless ones.

What gives? Do people with ultra-modern phones really want to carry around multiple charging cables? Are all the manufacturers waiting for a critical mass of phones before they change?

Perhaps they're all moving to Qi - the wireless charging standard? Nope! I would have though there would be some - literally all I can find is the £300 Parrot Zika cans.

To be fair, Qi is slow and does require a larger surface area than most earbuds will provide. Hmmm... I wonder if the physical size of the USB-C connector makes manufacturers reluctant to adopt it?

Back in 2009 I successfully switched to Micro USB for all my gadgets. It looks like this decade's switch is going to take a bit longer than expected...!

This is the, slightly cumbersomely named, elp-usb100w05mt-dl36.

What's in the box?

The USB cable is around 5 metres long, and is wired into the camera. Four screws and rawlplugs are also included. Why? Because there are mounting holes at the back of the camera.

To access them, your have to unscrew the base. The whole camera unit comes apart - this allows you to change the orientation and angle of the camera.

The unit is a simple affair. A central lens, a light sensor above it, and 24 Infrared LEDs.

It's rainproof - so suitable for mounting outside. No software is needed - it is detected as a USB video camera in Linux.

Sample Shots

Here's the quality of image taken in the midday sun. Click for bigger.

There's a bit of fish-eye on the image, but colours are reasonably good. Image is a bit soft, but certainly good enough to let you see what's going on.

Here's the same shot at night.

IR illumination is pretty good. You don't get much fine detail - but it is more than enough to see what's going on. The camera needs to be installed outside - the IR will reflect back into the lens if the unit is placed behind glass.

Drawbacks

It's only a 1280x720 resolution unit. That's fine for seeing detail in things close up - but you're not going to pick up car car number plates very easily.

The MJPEG stream is meant to be 30fps. In reality, it varied between about 10FPS & 30FPS. Again, good enough for security camera footage.

Poor audio. There is a cheap mono microphone inside the unit. As in right inside the dome. If you tap on the lens, you'll hear it, but it doesn't seem to pick up speech or anything else. But if all you care about is seeing what's going on, it's not a huge issue.

The USB cable seems pretty chunky - but I'm not sure how weather-proof it is. If you install it, remember to regularly inspect it for defects.

Internals

You can unscrew the dome! It's tight, and there is a rubber layer there to keep it waterproof.

You can see the tiny condenser microphone in there. Everything is securely afixed and neatly wired. You could easily replace the internals if you needed.

Verdict

A pretty good camera for forty quid. If you have a Raspberry Pi mounted outside, this is a good way to get video to it.

In a world of cheap, WiFi connected IP cameras, this makes sense for anyone who wants a more reliable connection - and a camera which can boot up instantly.

Quality isn't exactly high def - but, for the price, it will do.

Get it

You can buy the camera for £40 on Amazon (Affiliate link).

Or get it direct from the manufacturer

Linux Tech Specs

Camera works out of the box with Linux - tried on a recent Debian build and an older Raspberry Pi.

USB Info: 05a3:9310 ARC International

Full v4l2-ctl output:

Driver Info (not using libv4l2):
    Driver name   : uvcvideo
    Card type     : USB 2.0 Camera
    Bus info      : usb-0000:00:14.0-3
    Driver version: 4.10.17
    Capabilities  : 0x84200001
        Video Capture
        Streaming
        Extended Pix Format
        Device Capabilities
    Device Caps   : 0x04200001
        Video Capture
        Streaming
        Extended Pix Format
Priority: 2
Video input : 0 (Camera 1: ok)
Format Video Capture:
    Width/Height      : 1280/720
    Pixel Format      : 'YUYV'
    Field             : None
    Bytes per Line    : 2560
    Size Image        : 1843200
    Colorspace        : sRGB
    Transfer Function : Default
    YCbCr/HSV Encoding: Default
    Quantization      : Default
    Flags             : 
Crop Capability Video Capture:
    Bounds      : Left 0, Top 0, Width 1280, Height 720
    Default     : Left 0, Top 0, Width 1280, Height 720
    Pixel Aspect: 1/1
Selection: crop_default, Left 0, Top 0, Width 1280, Height 720
Selection: crop_bounds, Left 0, Top 0, Width 1280, Height 720
Streaming Parameters Video Capture:
    Capabilities     : timeperframe
    Frames per second: 10.000 (10/1)
    Read buffers     : 0
                     brightness (int)    : min=-128 max=127 step=1 default=0 value=0
                       contrast (int)    : min=0 max=255 step=1 default=128 value=128
                     saturation (int)    : min=1 max=128 step=1 default=64 value=64
                            hue (int)    : min=-40 max=40 step=1 default=0 value=0
 white_balance_temperature_auto (bool)   : default=1 value=1
                          gamma (int)    : min=72 max=500 step=1 default=100 value=100
                           gain (int)    : min=0 max=100 step=1 default=0 value=0
           power_line_frequency (menu)   : min=0 max=2 default=1 value=1
      white_balance_temperature (int)    : min=2800 max=6500 step=1 default=4600 value=4600 flags=inactive
                      sharpness (int)    : min=0 max=6 step=1 default=3 value=3
         backlight_compensation (int)    : min=0 max=2 step=1 default=1 value=1
                  exposure_auto (menu)   : min=0 max=3 default=3 value=3
              exposure_absolute (int)    : min=1 max=5000 step=1 default=625 value=625 flags=inactive
         exposure_auto_priority (bool)   : default=0 value=1

Straight up, it looks like a plastic toast rack. It's a chunky beast, but surprisingly lightweight. You won't have trouble lifting it, but it stays firmly in place.

Round the other side are 10 USB ports. Well spaced out, not too cramped.

It might be nice if they lined up with the rack, but that's a minor quibble.

There's a fan inside the unit, although I never got it to switch on.

Good airflow all round. It takes a standard "kettle" lead. I was happy to see a UK plug - complete with earthing - came with the unit.

Wired up competently, and with a 13 amp fuse. OK. Let's test drive this thing!

I thought I'd try and tip the unit over by placing a 10 inch Android tablet at one end. But the unit's centre of gravity is just right. Let's pile on the tech!

MOAR TECH!

The slots are just about wide enough for a MacBook Air to fit in.

EVAN MOOOORE TECHHHH!!!

2.4 amps is sufficient to power a Raspberry Pi. Imagine a Beowulf Cluster of those!

BUCKAROO!

Yup, the Nintendo Switch also fits.

OK, let's press the big button at the back and see if it explodes...

All the devices switched on. Those that support fast charging were able to draw the maximum current from it.

There is a fan inside the unit - to prevent overheating - but I wasn't able to get it to come on, even with all 10 devices charging.

Downsides

There's a lot to love about this mega-charger, but it isn't without flaws.

Firstly, it costs seventy quid. I guess £7 per charger isn't too bad - especially for a high power one. You also only need one plug socket.

USB-C devices are supported, but there's no USB-C specific slots. You won't get the advantage of USB-C fast charging. You can charge your new gadgets - but at slower speeds than with a dedicated charger.

Cable management is a bit horrific with 10 things plugged in. That's inevitable unless all 10 devices have a charging port in exactly the same place.

If I was going to be nit-picky, I'd prefer the USB slots to be spaced out in line with the "toast rack". It might be good to have individual LEDs for each slot.

Conclusion

If you've got 10 devices that you need charged simultaneously... This is probably as good as it gets.

You can buy the Ntonpower 10 port USB charger on Amazon.

All my house has Alternating Current circuits. Therefore, I need an inverter to change the DC to AC. This is inefficient.

Most of the electronic devices I own are powered by DC. So I plug little wall-warts into the AC sockets to convert back to DC. This is also inefficient.

One of the DC devices I'll be getting soon is the Maslow Battery. It's like the Tesla home battery. A several kWh array which can power my home once the sun has gone down. It discharges via AC. Again, another inefficiency.

• Solar Panels - DC-AC
• Maslow Battery Charging - AC-DC
• Discharging into the mains - DC-AC
• Powering a phone, computer, TV, etc - AC-DC

Generally speaking, inversion is around 95% efficient. Worst case scenario, that's an 18.5% loss of energy through inefficiency.

Now, it's not all doom and gloom. The Maslow battery has a dedicated DC circuit which can power light and some USB devices - that takes us down to a 10% loss.

It Doesn't Have To Be This Way

Those of you who've studied history may recall "The War of the Currents". In the early days of electricity there were constant arguments over how electricity should be distributed - AC or DC? Think of it like the iPhone/Android war of its day.

There were lots of scare stories over AC (used in the first electric chair) and DC (you won't be able to let go of the wire) - but both are equally deadly if mishandled.

Eventually - and I'm simplifying - the world settled on AC for long distance transmission of electricity. It's perfect for keeping polluting power plants away from residential areas. For general use in the modern house, DC is far more practical.

Can we change the world? Would it make more sense to carry on distributing AC power - but have every home use a single, efficient inverter?

There are a few devices in the home which would still need unadulterated AC - fridges, cookers, vacuum cleaners - which can still run off the power supplied to the home. So perhaps we still need dual circuitry in our homes.

Consider these plug sockets which you can retro fit -

But that's still using lots of small inverters rather than one big one.

And it uses the older version of the USB standard. USB C will allow for 100W to be delivered via a standard cable. So you can power laptops and TVs, as well as smaller devices.

Perhaps, in the glorious future, all our power-sockets will be USB-C by default - with a few legacy AC connections for older devices.

Isn't that what we want? An efficient transport mechanism transformed once into DC for the devices which need it?

Ah well, a boy can dream, eh?

I wanted a USB hub which didn't have a trailing wire (one more thing to get tangled or lost) and would fit neatly onto a laptop.

Enter the Sabrent 4-Port USB 2.0 Rotatable Hub a £6 hub available on Amazon.

It's a tiny hub - about the size of my thumb. It fits perfectly onto a MacBook Pro. The rotating mechanism will lock in a vertical position like so:

Or it can lay flat either to the left of right.

The ports are well spaced and were able to accommodate a variety of cables, dongles, and thumb-drives.

The only downside is that the plug itself feels slightly loose when plugged in. It wobbles a little and means that you need to hold the unit still when unplugging devices from it.

I was worried that it would be too large for my MacBook Air (check me out with two laptops!) but it's fine. It doesn't raise the corner up or cause any problems.

Overall, a perfect hub for travellers who don't want loads of cables.

Rotatable USB Hub is £6 on Amazon.

Like most legislatures, it works on glacial timelines. Not only tackling the problems of the past, but also assuming the future is static.

In the fast moving technology industry, this has been a mixed blessing. Mandating the need for a physical SIM and ensuring phones can be unlocked has kept EU customers in a much better position than the Americans, for example.

Not withstanding the bizarre quest to shrink SIMs even as phones are getting larger, I think it's uncontroversial to say that this standard has helped drive innovation and made customers' lives much easier.

So the EU has taken a look at the next proprietary battle - charging sockets!

You may not remember this, dear reader, but when I started in this industry every phone manufacturer had their own charging standard. Nokia used a barrel connector, Sony Ericsson had this strange sprung multi-pin socket which doubled as a headphone port, Samsung had a long flat connector which was just a bit wider than Panasonic's visually similar connector, and BlackBerry had a stubby like port which was the almost USB shaped.

It was a horrible mess. Buying a new phone meant throwing away your existing chargers - sometimes even if your new device was made by the same manufacturer as the old.

Then USB came along. Without a doubt one of the reasons for its popularity was that it could carry both power and data. One less port to solder onto a handset.

Oh, yeah, didn't I mention? Every phone had their own non-standard data plug as well. Fun times!

Slowly, manufacturers standardised on Mini-USB. And, just when that got settled, they moved en-mass to Micro-USB.

The EU then mandated the bloody obvious; all phones must use Micro-USB for charging.

Well, not quite. They said that all devices must be able to be charged via USB and, if they don't have a suitable port, must provide a free adapter.

Apple, being the extra special precious snowflakes of the technology world went down the adapter route. And then, once everyone had an Apple-to-USB dongle, went and changed their charging port to a completely different standard. Thus, at a stroke, proving how useful mandated standards are.

Now the EU wants to actually mandate a single charger for all devices by 2016. No adapters, dongle, or exemptions. You sell in the single market, you don't force the customer into your accessory ecosystem.

(Incidentally, when the iPhone first came out, it had a non-standard headphone socket! There's nothing those slimey fuckers won't do to make a quick buck. Luckily, market pressure forced them to relent and adopt the standard 3.5mm jack.)

I, however, think the EU are too late. I believe the portless phone is overdue.

Consider, for a moment, the ports on your phone. The headset socket is now obsolete due to Bluetooth. The need for a cable for data transfer is also redundant due to Bluetooth and WiFi. Memory sockets are nice - but if manufacturers would reduce the size of their bloated operating systems and just shove a decently sized memory chip in there in the first place, there's no need for them.

That just leaves power.

There are currently three competing standards for wireless charging. Naturally, all are incompatible with each other.

What's especially frustrating is that most modern phones support wireless charging (of some form or other) but don't come with the necessary kit in the box. My Galaxy Note 3, for example, requires me to buy a small sliver of metal and plastic to slip between the batter and the cover - total cost of about £5.

Oh, and then a charging station for £20.

Which may be incompatible with phones from other manufacturers...

Imagine, just for a moment, that the EU could force the market to adopt a single remote charging standard and then mandate that all phones come with the requisite technology to take advantage of it. How wonderful would that be?

Wires are so 19th Century.